CRICKET.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 490, 24 April 1909, Page 13

CRICKET.

, THE DISTRIDf SCHEME: A^PnOVEbfi , : BY A 0N&V0TB , A special meeting of delegates of tho Wei-, fington Cricket Association Was hold in the Chamber of Commerce yesterday evening 'forth© purpose of; discussing tho. proposal U>. establish a district scheme.. The.chair'wafi occupied, by; Mr. M.F.Luckie, who placed; tho position 'before delegates, and stated.' that tlio Management Committee of the .as-, eociation was of:, opinion that , it would"bo' ; advisable to- adopt .a ■. scheme of district cricket. Ho moved formally that the pre-. sent system of cricket, as played under tho auspices of the association, bo discontinued, and that it be resolved that the association introduce a system of district cricket. \,'v. : In seconding Mr. Luckie's motion, Mr. T. H. Wilson urged tho advantages of tho dis-' trict scheme, and quoted the advance .in Sydney cricket sinco tho adoption of the district scheme. . In' Auckland, also, tlio game had made great strides since .the introduction of the district schome, and the. same remark applied to Christcliurch. . :, At this stage Mr. Luckio pointed out that tho carrying of Ills resolution would simply mean the affirming of the district scheme. The actual districts, as outlined in tho sub-committeo's report (already printed), Would come before a/subsequent meeting, When it might bo altered. The draft scheme was. a general outline of what' the committee, considered 6hould be adopted. If th? motion V.ae carried he suggested that the committee should be instructed to draw up rules, etc., for the district scheme, which rules would have to como before a meeting to be hold later.

Mr. P. K. Kelling opposed the motion, which, he oonaidered, would carry disaDtei in its train as far as some of the clubs were concerned—notably, Old Boys, Wadestown, Karori, Y.M.O.A n St. Mark's, St. John's and others. Wellington did not lend itself to the' district scheme .To establish, it was like making a silk purso out of a sow's ear. it was patent that a number of clubs were badly off financially, and; they could not clear up their affairs'under a year or two. He had it from an. Aucklandor that the scheme was a failure there, more especially as it affected juniors. Teams had been : playing short-handed towards tho end of the season there, and defaulters had been prominent if the Auckland papers were correct. It appeared, therefore, that the new scheme did not givo everything that could bo wished; Mr. A. H.: Holmes thought tho question to be 'decided was whether the same conditions prevailed in Wellington ns in other places named where the scheme ihad been a success. Ho did not think the conditions in Wellington were the'same as in places like Sydney; Auckland, and Christchurch. If the ! district scheme was established in its entirety 'he 'did not think that the boys' club's would prosper.. Ho could not support ; theresolution. •• '

_ Mr. Hyams thought that cricket in Wellington was in a very bad. position, and he thought tho best course was to try a new move, and see if the game could be improved. : " v ..' ■■■■, .- ; '■ ■-' ;

Mr. J. P. Blacklock \ was against tho scheme/ and expressed his sorrow that the chairman would not allow tho committee's proposed districts to bo discussed, and perhaps knocked into shape. ' Personally lie accounted for the falling-off in tho quality of local cricket by tho reducing of tho senior 1 matches to two Saturdays, instead of three, and the increase % the number of clubs, which latter' movo had weakened. and dragged( the game down, through the new. clubs taking, a; member here and a member there from the'other oliibs. A reduction in the nuinber of clubs would make those loft stronger. •.-..■... ..., ~ .'.'." t Mr. 8.. L. Salmon considered the decline in first-class cricket was due to the reduction of the time allowed for , senior games from three Saturdays to two. Personally he could see no possible scheme of districts in Wellington that would be a: success. . Asto finance, the association now "had 22 clubs, and it proposed to reduce thenr to 10. Last year there was,a lQss.,of £IQO. Tho.income: would drop considerably under the district scheme, as! the revenue was derived from clubs.' . .' : ■ ■'.'■■:', ■'. ..

' Mr. A. T . Bate said that lie had only heard one argument against the new scheme, and that was the question of finance. Hβ thought the districts would support, thoir teams, which would he. better than having a large number of impecunious clubs. All the time he had been connected with the association,: 34 .ye.ars,. it had been in a poverty-stricken condition. One of ihe'great drawbacks,was the lack of grounds, and he thought districts would help the grounds question. There were' difficulties in the; way .of, the scheme, no" doubt, but ho thought that it should be.givcna trial, and ho would'vote for it., ; Mr. Wircn also supported the scheme, and urged that the district clubs would always hato the' best youngsters in the; district- to draw on. . . ■.• ,-' ■ • .■ -

; j)lr...Willis.was in favour of the district scheme,, although tho district mapped out by tho sub-committee did not suit his club (Johnsonville). ....-. , ''. .;; : •'.: . ; - Mr. Jacobs did not think that the , district scheme would remedy the association's present bankrupt state.. ' '.. , ; ' Mr. Hart and Mr. Blacklock also spoko against' the scheme, and the chairman replied at some length. V.. - . ■■: 'When the resolution was put to the meeting.it was carried by 17 votes to 16. On the motion of Mr: Luckitf ,it was decided that tho Management Committee draw up rules and regulations for the new scheme, which should be submitted to a general meeting t<i be called later. ' ■